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lentil cheese sauce

Nacho Cheeze Fries… with a secret ingredient | Vegan + GF

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Cheezy Poutine? Potato Nachos? Secretly Nutritious Cheese Fries? I DID NOT KNOW what to call this masterpiece. But, I think Nacho Cheeze Fries says it all, ya?

It’s nachos, but with fries.

It’s cheezy, but it’s a special cheeze sauce.

It’s mega nutrient-dense with the hidden ingredient of… red lentils!!!!

Red lentils are nutritional powerhouses, plus they have the magic ability to morph into a creamy sauce. In other words, they deserve to be the star secret ingredient to most things, especially this super delish, comfort-food kinda meal.

If you’re looking for a sneaky way to pump more plant protein into your kids (and yourself), look no further.

This is a good one for a back to school week dinner in 30 minutes. 

Serve it up with a side salad, or integrate the salad into the meal by wrapping each cheezy fry in a romaine leaf (my go-to lazy dinner).

You can get creative with your toppings too. I used smoked tofu (found at most grocery stores), for some smokiness and ‘meatiness’, and green onion to keep it fresh. Go for it though! Here’s some more ideas for toppers:

  • corn
  • beans
  • edamame
  • red pepper
  • artichokes
  • sautéed mushrooms
  • caramelized onions
  • veggie ground
  • cashew sour cream
  • pulled jackfruit

What ever you do, please show me by tagging @hookedonplants on instagram. I love seeing your recipes!


Nacho Cheeze Fries with a secret ingredient
 
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Satisfying in flavour and comfort, with secretly hidden nutrition! These nacho cheeze fries are a fun switch up to the typical nacho platter, with red lentil cheese sauce stealing the show. (Prep time doesn't include the optional lentil soaking)
Author:
Recipe type: dinner, lunch, snack
Serves: 4
Ingredients

  • Fries:
  • 4 russet potatoes OR 2 large sweet potatoes, rinsed, scrubbed and dried, then sliced in ¼ inch thick fry shape
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp avocado or coconut oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

  • Toppings:
  • ½ block smoked tofu, diced
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 1 jalepeno pepper, sliced in thin rounds
  • Salsa of choice for the side

  • Red Lentil Cheese Sauce:
  • 1 cup red lentils (soaked a few hours if possible, then rinsed, for best nutrition and digestion)
  • 1½ cup water or veggie stalk
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup soy milk, unsweetened, unflavoured
  • **optional: ¼ cup vegan mayo for extra creaminess
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F
  2. Mix the chopped potatoes with the oil and spices (except the salt!) in a bowl until evenly coated. Spread them out on a parchment-covered (or reusable baking sheet-covered) baking pan so they aren't touching each other!
  3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, on the middle rack, flipping the fries over half way through.
  4. Season with salt when they're done.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the lentils: Add the lentils to the pot with 1½ cups liquid, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes (15 minutes if they weren't pre-soaked)
  6. Make the Red Lentil Cheeze Sauce: add the cooked lentils, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, nutritional yeast, mayo (if using), and soy milk to your blender and blend until smooth. Once blended, mix in the smoked tofu chunks.
  7. Layer it up to serve! Fries first, then cheeze sauce, then green onion and jalepeno. Enjoy!

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